St. Bernards official earns healthcare recognition

Kevin Hodges, vice president of senior services at St. Bernards Healthcare, has been advanced to fellow status in the American College of Healthcare Executives, an international professional society of 30,000 healthcare executives.

He will be recognized during a convocation ceremony in March at the ACHE annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership in New Orleans. Fellow status acknowledges outstanding professional achievement and is held by only 3,300 healthcare executives. The FACHE designation indicates board certification in healthcare management as well as the ACHE fellow status.

To obtain fellow status, a candidate must meet the following requirements:

hold membership in ACHE for at least three years,

hold a healthcare management position in a recognized organization,

hold a post baccalaureate degree,

have at least five years of healthcare management experience,

successfully complete the Board of Governors Examination in Healthcare Management,

have accumulated 40 hours of continuing education unit credits during the previous five years,

have three references from fellows,

document participation in ACHE and national, regional and state healthcare associations, and

document participation in national, state or community organizations.

Born in Osceola, Hodges grew up in Keiser and is a graduate from Rivercrest High School in Wilson. He earned both a bachelor’s degree in health services administration and a Master of Business Administration degree from Arkansas State University, graduating cum laude.

Hodges has been on staff at St. Bernards since 1989, when he joined the management team as assistant director for environmental services. He has served in several management positions within St. Bernards and was named a vice president for St. Bernards Healthcare in 1998. He is responsible for developing and maintaining all senior services, including programs such as St. Bernards Village, Home Care Services, Hospice, Meals Express, Lifeline Program, Center on Aging, Senior Life Centers, 55 Plus Programs, Senior Health Clinic and AllCare of Arkansas, Inc.

Hodges is a member of Kiwanis International and has served as an officer of the local Kiwanis club. A member of the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, he has been active on that group’s ASU Committee and in Leadership Jonesboro. He also is a member of St. Bernards Advocates.

His professional memberships include the Assisted Living Federation of America, the Arkansas Healthcare Executive Forum, the Arkansas Hospital Association and the American Association for Homes and Services for Aging.

Currently, Hodges serves on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee for the City of Jonesboro. He is a past board member of Foundation Care, Inc., an organization that manages facilities for adults with developmental disabilities, a past officer of the Health Services Commission for the state of Arkansas and a past member of the Northeast Arkansas Regional Transit Authority.

Hodges and his wife, the former Dametra Proffitt, have three children – Kelsie, 15; Dalton, 11; and Jenna, 8. They are members of Walnut Street Baptist Church. He is the son of Johnny and Lavada Hodges of Jonesboro.